Human Rights Watch, which reviews human rights practices around the world, announced on Jan 21 that the Malaysian Government appeared to be more interested in pursuing short-term political advantage, rather than safeguarding rights. Its deputy director for Asia, Phil Robertson, claimed the government was more rhetoric than reality.

The following day, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin refuted this Human Rights Watch statement and said that his government was constantly improving its approach towards various human rights issues. He questioned whether the assessment had been fair and rejected the report.

Later that same day, we received news that over eighty houses were to be demolished by the Land and Survey Department in Sebauh, Bintulu Division. Twenty five houses had already been destroyed. The people contend that they had Native Customary Rights (NCRs) over the land and had filed a court case against the department and a private developer.

The loss of trust

So is it ‘fair’ and right that these homes were to be destroyed before the outcome of the court-hearing? In normal circumstances, the two disputing parties will wait for the matter to be heard before further action is taken. If the Land Department destroys these homes, the longhouse people will suffer irreparable har m, and lose not just their property and land, but also their dignity, self-respect and confidence.

Compensation is entirely speculative, and could never be adequate replacement for a centuries-old tradition and ownership. But the most detrimental effect would be the loss of trust between the people and the government. And losing trust is like losing one’s virginity. Once it is gone, it can never be regained.

The Human Rights Watch is correct to assert that the Malaysian Government has reneged on its contract to the nation. By doing so, the government maintains control and power. The rights of people are constantly being challenged by the government and corporations. Some are forced to protest when all avenues for negotiation appear to have failed. In the recent blockade at Sungei Sekabia, villagers armed themselves with parangs to form a human shield to protect their homes and farms.
Others have successfully brought their challenges to court, to argue that recklessness and/or negligence had resulted in the loss of their lands. These people had NCRs over land but the Sarawak Government had unlawfully claimed it as state land. The successes of Mohamad Rambli Kawi and Agi anak Bungkong, in Kuching and Bintulu, respectively, showed that litigation can be effectively used to seek justice.

Bullied by the Feds

What we witness is the continued and persistent inhumane atrocities against marginalised groups of Sarawakians. These defenceless people are being kicked about, by the authorities and the politicians whom they elected, to protect their interests but who in the end, kowtowed to corporations, instead.

But the damning thing is how Sarawak is in turn being bullied by the Federal government.

In the Economic Planning Unit report for the 10th Malaysia Plan, of Jan 20, the federal authorities rated Sarawak’s hardcore poverty at 2%. The Sarawak Government rightly believes this to be wrong. It is rated well below the national average and will affect requests for federal funding to eradicate hardcore poverty.

Many are hard-pressed to marry facts with reality. The state generates much wealth from its natural resources of petroleum, liquefied natural gas and timber. And yet, Sarawak ranks amongst the four poorest states. Sarawakians are right to question why they have been denied full-scale development after almost five decades as part of Malaysia.

Rural Sarawak has more than 5,000 longhouses and villages. The infrastructure is poor and large areas are inaccessible. Without a good transport system, the people have difficulty achieving development. Education is restricted, partly because of this lack of infrastructure. Thus, keeping the people ignorant is a form of control.

Excluded from major life-effecting decisions

Meanwhile, drug problems among Sarawak youth is growing. The lack of opportunities and boredom make drug use a powerful form of escape from reality. The indigenous peoples lack self-confidence. They fail to see improvement in their daily working lives. Mega-projects are made in the name of progress but they experience physical displacement, destruction of their way of life and deliberate exclusion from major life-effecting decisions.

When China and Malaysia signed the recent deal for the highly controversial energy masterplan, few were aware of the details. Even the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, was surprised that coal-mining had been termed ‘renewable’. So what happened to PM Najib’s pledge to the Stockholm Treaty?

Courting the favours of Beijing may be crucial to address Malaysia’s growing budget deficit. We are unable to attract foreign investment unlike Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia. Our image is compounded by arson incidents in places of worship, migrant worker mistreatment and deaths, violent crackdown on peaceful protests, media repression and the continuation of a deficient criminal code. The government is hoping the deal with China is the silver lining in the thunder clouds.

But, at what price to the indigenous people? Over 600,000 of them will be displaced. The main beneficiaries will be the construction companies linked to the family of CM Abdul Taib Mahmud. The people are outraged. First, their ancestral lands are arbitrarily possessed and trees removed, leaving a scarred and barren landscape. Then to complete the destruction, either the surface is flooded or the area beneath the surface is further exploited, by coal-mining. Coal mining is one of the most polluting and environmental unfriendly industries.

Sarawakians treated less than human

The controversy in Sarawak is huge. Why are Sarawakians treated more like a stumbling block, and less than human beings? Instead of empowering its people to help in nation-building, the control of its people seems to give its government a feeling of power.

Sarawakians are horrified to learn that they have to ‘fight’ to uphold their rights, in order to be left in peace to continue their way of life. That, in being ‘freed’ from the Rajah Brooke reign, Sarawak has been made an unwitting colony of Malaysia.. And with its underdeveloped education system, a seemingly ignorant people is sapped of strength. All of these mirror the propaganda in George Orwell’s 1984 – War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, Ignorance is Strength.

The Sarawak Government may be a bully to its own people. But the biggest bully, in the area, is the Federal government of Malaysia. In response to the Human Rights Watch condemnation of Malaysia’s human rights record, the Deputy Prime Minister said that, “We have done our best”.

But, we ask, “Best? For whom?”

MARIAM MOKHTAR has a passion for people, places and plain speaking. Don’t suffer fools gladly.

wargamarhaen